Automatic pitch-adjuster for propeller-blades



C. K. HENINGTON.

AUTOMATIC PITCH ADJUSTER FOR PROPELLER BLADES.

APPLICATION Patented-Jan 4,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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C. K. HENINGTON.

AUTOMATIC PITCH ADJUSTER FOB PROPELLER BLADES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-3.1920.

' 1,364,755, Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l T 9 IO' JafQ' n UNITE TATES PATENT orrlcr.

CLIVE K. EENIII'GTON, OF DE SHET, SOUTH 'DAKOTA.

LUTOIATIG PITCH-ADJUSTER FOB PROPELIIEB/BIIDE- Specification of Letters Patent.

* Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed January 8, 1920. Serial No. 849,307.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cnrvn K. HnNmo-mn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at De Smet, in the county of Kingsbury and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Automatic Pitch-Adjuster for Propeller- Blades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention 'comprehendscertain improvements in means for effecting manual,

and automatic adjustment of the pitch of propeller blades and has for its primary object to provide in conjunction with manually operablemeans for eifecting'such adjustment improved resilient means tensioned against the air pressure for maintaining the propeller blades at an effective pitch.

Other objects of the invention are; to provide an adjusting mechanism which will not appreciably increase'head resistance; to provide means for decreasing frictional resistance to the adjustment of the propeller; and to so associate the resilient or automatic adjusting mechanism with 'the manual adjusting mechanism that it will form a part thereof and act in conjunction therewith.

More particularly the present invention contemplatesimprovements in my prior application upon automatic pitch adjusters for propeller blades, filed November 13, 1918,

Serial No. 262,368, and in general terms it.

includes a hub on the drive shaft to which the propeller blades are swivelly'connected and are adjusted by operative connection with a slidable and non-rotatable sleeve on the shaft manually operated through a lever and rod which has associatedtherewith the resilient automatic adjusting mechanism.

Other improvements and novel details in i the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the apparatus will be brou ht out more in detail in the description to 01- low, which, for a clear understanding of the invention, should be considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed,

" for the purpose of illustration, convenient and satisfactory' embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood in this connection, that minor changes in the construction and arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the principles of operation.

In the drawings wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown:

- Figure 1 is a side elevation of'a propeller with which the present invention is incor-. porated. i

Fig. 2'is a sectional side elevation through the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the adjusting mechanism in position to eifectvthe greatest pitch. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the adjusting mechanism. in position to effect the least base A and the end carrying the castle nut- 2 is a hub 3 having opposed stub shafts 4 are carried the propeller blades C. a

"As the propeller blades C are identical in upon which construction the description will be limited to one of them. Extending longitudinally inthe propeller blade shank is a cylindrical recess or socket 5 within which is mounted a sleeve 6 having annular shoulders? and 8 adjacent its ends and secured in place by bolts 9 extending transversely through the shank and to one side of the longitudinal axes thereof.

' Extending within the sleeve is the stub shaft 4 between which and the sleeve are mounted ball-races 10 and 11 abutting respectively the shoulders 7 and 8 and reducing frictional resistance upon turning the propeller to a'minimum, while stress longitudinally of the propeller is taken up by the thrust bearing 12 mounted between the ballrace 10 and the castle nut 13 on the end of the stub shaft.

Embracing the terminals of the propeller shanks are collars 14 secured thereto by several of the bolts 9 and having inwardly and angularly extending arms 15 pivotally connected to links 16 which in turn are pivoted to the longitudinally extendin opposed arms 17 of the frame 18. The name 1 is Fig. 5 is a detail of'the connection be mounted on a slidable but non --rotatable sleeve 19 on-the shaft B and is cut away as at 20 to bridge the hub 3-of the propeller and the opposite side of which is journaled on the shaft B as at 21 and outi of the operating lever 26 pivoted to the base A asat 26. A collar 27 pinned to the reduced portion 22 as at 28 prevents displacement of the ring and ball-race and allows the sleeve 19 to rotate therewithin although the same may he slid longitudinally of the shaft B to adjust the propeller blades.

Pivoted. to thelever 26 as at 29 is a hollow operating rod 30 within which is received a second operating rod 31 carrying a stop 32 between which and the nut 33 on the rod 30 and embracing the rod 31 is a con tractile coil spring 34 for resiliently ad tion herein described and all'statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 7

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A device of the character described ing a bifurcated terminal engaging the .nal of the frame with justing the pitch of the propeller blades in 1 coiiperation with manualv adjustment thereof through movement of the rods to slide the sleeve 19 along the drive shaft. In this connection reference is to be pending application, filed 1918, Serial No. 262,368.

A suitable operating lever 35 connected with the rod 31 has a manually operated pawl 36 engaging a segmental rack 37 for effecting manual and positive adjustment of the pitch of thepropeller blades;

In operation when it is desired to increase the pitch of the propeller blades the pawl 36 is disengaged from the segmental rack 37 and the lever 35 moved to the rear whereupon the rod 31 will expand the coil spring 34 to move the hollow operating rod 30 rearwardly. -As the operating lever 26 is pivoted to the sleeve 19 the frame 18 will be moved forwardly and the blades will-be rotated throughthe medium of links 16, but as the adjustment is resilient (through coil springs) the blades will automatically ad- November 13,

' just themselves'to-the angle of most efl'ective pitch.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted, as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the follow ing claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invenhad to my co--.

itch -of thelatter incident to the longitudinal sleeve forv moving the latter together with the frame longitudinally of the shaft, and means connecting the last mentioned termiing the pitch thereof.

2. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, a hub secured thereon provided with opposed radial spokes, blades pivotally mounted on the thereof, a frame slidably mounted upon the spokes and adapt-- ed for pivotal movement to vary .the pitch.

the blades for varyshaft having a longitudinal slot accommodating the hub, a. sleeve slidably mounted upon the the frame. the opposite terminal of the frame being mounted directly upon the shaft, a lever having a bifurcated extremity connected with the sleeve for adjusting the latter longitudinally of the shaft, longitudinally extending arms carried by the frame, and link connections between the arms and the blades for varying the pitch of the latter incident to the lon 'tudinal movement of the frame with relatlon to the shaft. 3. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, a hub mounted thereon, radiall projecting spokes carried by the hub, b adapted for pivotal movement thereon to vary their pitch, a frame slidably mounted upon the shaft at one terminal, a sleeve slidably mounted upon the shaft for supporting the opposite terminal of the frame, said frame having a longitudinal slot accommodating the hub, link connections between the frame and the blades for varying the movement of the frame with relation to the shaft, a manually operable lever, and yieldable connections between the'manually operable lever and the first mentioned lever for adjusting the latter.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

CLIVE K. HENINGTON.

shaft supporting one'terminal of ades mounted'upon the spokes and 

